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"Penn Foster made my goal easily attainable while working a full-time job. Thanks to the wonderful staff at Penn Foster, I will further my education here, because I will never become too old to learn."

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"I am proud to have graduated from Penn Foster Career School and I would do it all over again if I had to. All of the instructors and the Student Service Reps are polite, caring, respectful, and knowledgeable."

Penn Foster and Scranton School District Partner to Offer Online Learning

April 25, 2013

SCRANTON, PA (April 25, 2013) - Penn Foster, a leader in career-focused online and blended education designed to address the skills gap in America, and the Scranton School District, today announced an agreement to provide online credit recovery and enrichment classes, as well as blended learning options, for hundreds of high school students in the district. On April 2, the Scranton School Board unanimously passed a resolution creating an official and sanctioned partnership with the Scranton-based online learning provider, which will save the school district significant money.

“We are thrilled to partner with the Scranton School District, as the city has been our home for more than 120 years,” said Joe Gagnon, President and COO of Penn Foster. “The traditional high school model no longer applies to the way students live. Working with the school district, we will continue to engage students and increase their success by providing innovative solutions tailored to needs of 21st century learners.”

Under the new resolution, Penn Foster will partner with the school district to utilize existing programs and develop innovative new programs to deliver cost effective, high-quality educational options. Penn Foster will offer its services to the district for approximately $800 per student. Currently, the district pays $9,520 to educate each student.

“The Scranton School District is excited to partner with Penn Foster, a local company with a worldwide reputation for offering cost effective online cyber school courses that meet the ever changing needs of students,” said Superintendent William F. King. “Scranton will work hand-in-hand with Penn Foster in the development of multiple online courses and blended learning pathways, so that students who choose these options will earn a Scranton School District diploma. We ultimately plan to offer the following: a pure cyber school model, a blended cyber school option, and summer school recovery and enrichment courses, along with career focused online courses that offer a work experience component. We are trying to create cost effective options and learning models that meet the needs of our students, most of which are digital natives.”

The partnership, which is slated to begin in the summer of 2013, will focus on adapting to student learning styles and providing multiple pathways for students to earn a Scranton School District high school diploma. The online program will offer high school students the opportunity to make up classes to graduate or take classes to get ahead. Through a blended option, students will be able to complete all coursework online, but also have the opportunity to attend school for specific classes and be involved in extracurricular activities. At the start of the new school year, Penn Foster also plans to pilot a new project-based learning curriculum in Scranton with a focus on real-life problem solving.

Penn Foster currently works with more than 500 school districts and is one of the largest high schools in the U.S. with 43,000 students enrolled in its affordable and flexible high school programs.

About Penn Foster

Founded in 1890, Penn Foster has been a leader in career-focused distance and blended learning for more than 100 years. Since its inception, more than 13 million people have enrolled in its high school, career school and college to learn advanced skills, further their education and better position them for life success. Today, Penn Foster graduates 25,000 students yearly and enrolls more than 100,000 new students each year in programs designed to address the skills gap in middle skilled careers. Penn Foster’s high-quality, affordable distance education allows students the flexibility to complete programs around their schedules with 24/7 access to a supportive online community of students and faculty. For more information, visit www. pennfoster.edu.